Theo Fages insists he did not expect to be a regular starter at St Helens this year.
The French international has only made two appearances for Saints since joining the club as their big-name signing in the off-season.
He made his first appearance at Langtree Park last Friday as the Saints defeated Castleford, coming off the bench at half-time to replace the injured Adam Swift.
However, Fages, who has been described as the future of the club by head coach Keiron Cunningham, revealed his current involvement is what he expected.
“I knew I wasn’t going to be the first choice when I came here,” he told TotalRL.
“I’ve been working very hard in training and I know I will get my chance. I’m just focusing on training hard and when I do get the chance to play I want to play well and keep my place in the team.
“I got some good touches (on Friday) and hopefully I did enough to stay in the team for next week.”
As a playmaker, the exposure of working with Cunningham and Sean Long on a regular basis is a dream for Fages.
“We have Keiron as a hooker and Sean as a former halfback, so I have two great coaches to work on my game with and other players too. I’m working hard.
“Sean’s good in training, he helps me a lot. It’s good for me to speak to him both on and off the field.”
